


Rose of Jericho

by tarot_card



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: M/M, Victorian Flower Language, not that kind of jericho, rose of jericho, surprise proposal, using flowers to propose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:07:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22075933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tarot_card/pseuds/tarot_card
Summary: Given their relationship began using flowers, Bucky figured it was only appropriate to use a flower to move it a step further.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Comments: 15
Kudos: 69





	Rose of Jericho

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheCityLightShow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCityLightShow/gifts).



> This is meant to follow **Roses for a Wallflower**. 
> 
> And a huge thank you to QuietCanadian on the FrostIron discord server for reading this over for me. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Bucky shuffled his feet nervously in the elevator on his way up to his and Tony’s apartment, staring at the shallow bowl he was holding, the ferrari red bowl with its electric blue rim - and the shriveled plant inside - making him more nervous than he’d ever been in his life. The elevator opened quietly - no annoying ‘ding’ for them; J would always make sure they got off on the right floor, there was no need for it. 

He looked up as he took a step out of the elevator and laughed quietly to himself as he saw Tony running a hand through his hair - which looked like it had seen a comb and some gel, but that this wasn’t the first time he’d started to mess with it since then - and was clearly still fussing over his outfit. 

Like Bucky gave a damn what he wore.

God knew the man was gorgeous, whether he was wearing Tom Ford, or jeans and a grease-stained t-shirt. 

Tony didn’t look up until Bucky had almost reached him, and frazzled look on his face even with the smile he had on. Which turned slightly confused when he saw what Bucky was holding. 

“Hey Buckaroo, what’s that?” The curious look make Bucky smile as he held out the bowl to the brunet. 

“A gift. A little early, but I wanted to give this to you without the hassle of everyone else. It’s a Rose of Jericho - ‘sposed to be protection, happiness, abundance, and to ward off bad power. Figure we’ll need it if we’re ‘sposed to get through Christmas without some asshole comin’ out an’ attackin’ New York.” 

The grin on Tony’s face was expected; it was the same fond, affectionate one he wore every time Bucky gifted him flowers; which he’d done at least once a month since they’d gotten together. It was their own version of love letters to one another. 

“Thanks, Buttercup!” Tony bussed a kiss to his cheek, and he let out a soft laugh at the ridiculous nickname. He knew what he was getting into when he got together with him, he had no one to blame but himself. Though, he often pretended he minded the nicknames a lot more than he actually did. 

After all, Tony more often than not named him after flowers; he couldn’t help but be fond of those particular nicknames at this point, given what they meant to the two of them.

“C’mon, let’s get some water in it, didn’t you have a reservation for us somewhere?”

“Oh! Uhm.. well. See. I cancelled it; I wanted a night just, you know, for the two of us. Here. If that’s okay?” Bucky blinked at Tony a couple of times, glancing at the plant in Tony’s hands briefly before focusing on his boyfriend again. 

He was silent for too long it seemed, since Tony was backtracking quickly, “I mean, I can get another reservation! It’s not a problem, I mean - everyone wants me at their restaurant right? It won’t be a pro-”

“Tony. It’s fine. I was just surprised, you seemed like you’d wanted to go out tonight.” Bucky held those beautiful brown eyes with his own for a moment longer before pulling his hand away from Tony’s mouth, a small smile of his face as Tony half-heartedly, belatedly, went to lick his palm.

“..You sure? I just.. I would rather spend the night with you. I ordered some food in - there’s this great Italian steakhouse that I thought you’d like. Red meat and pasta okay?” At Bucky’s nod, Tony reached out a snagged a red tie to loop around his neck, carefully putting down the bowl in his hands before doing a Windsor knot without even looking.

“Doll, ya don’t need to get dressed if we’re just at home, y’know.” 

Tony looked affronted at the very  _ suggestion _ of not dressing up, and Bucky laughed. “Of course I do! I have to impress my Snowdrop, you know!” He could see Tony’s lips twitching and the laughter in his eyes, even as Tony wagged a finger at him. 

“Of course, of course, what was I thinkin’. Heaven  _ forbid _ I see you in somethin’ casual for dinner.”

“Exactly! Now you’re getting it!” Another grin before Tony leaned up to peck him on the lips quickly. “Now, let’s get some water in this and dinner should be here soon. The best part about staying at home? We can take our time. You know, feed each other by hand, the whole thing.”

Bucky couldn’t stop the belly laugh at Tony’s exaggerated eyebrow wiggle, and all he could think to himself was how much he was in  _ love _ with this man.

~~~

Tony was almost star-struck as he watched Bucky laughing, enjoying the cut of the gunmetal grey suit he was wearing and the way the pale blue tie made his eyes stand out that much more. He was glad that Bucky was willing to be at home for the night, he really didn’t want to have to be a show for the public. It was only a few days until Christmas, and the restaurants were guaranteed to be packed with people as it was. 

Glancing down at the bowl in his hands he smiled to himself; once Bucky had realized what he’d been doing from almost day one of Bucky being at the tower, he’d responded in kind. Messages with plants and flowers, declarations of his feelings - both good and bad at times - done with so much thought. 

Tony loved every moment of it; any time they had to go to some Stark or Avengers function, they were always wearing matching boutonnieres of a flower with some meaning that only the two of them - and J of course - were aware of. 

It took Bucky a minute, but he settled and smiled, holding out his arm for Tony, and leading the way to the kitchen once he had. A bit of water at the bottom of the bowl, and Tony brought it with him to their dinner table, already laid out with plates and cutlery and just awaiting their dinner to arrive. 

He made room in the center of the table for the bowl just in time to be alerted by J.A.R.V.I.S. that dinner had arrived. He took a moment to light the candles on the table as Bucky went to the elevator and took the bags out of it, bringing them to the table and laying out the food for the two of them. 

Tony sat down as Bucky did and laughed at Bucky’s, ‘Thanks, doll, looks great.’ 

“Oh good, all my hard work in the kitchen paid off then!” The two of them had a quiet chuckle and enjoyed their dinner together.

Despite laughing about it earlier, Tony blushed when Bucky did, in fact, hand-feed him a few pieces of the small cakes that were ordered for dessert, nipping at his fingers gently as they left his lips. 

They ate dinner leisurely by candle light over the course of a couple of hours, taking their time to clean up afterward. Tony blew out the candles and reached a finger into the shallow dish with the rose of jericho, brushing against the slowly unfurling greenery, picking it up after a moment to bring to the coffee table in front of the couch where Bucky was sitting now, queuing up a movie for the two of them to watch a movie together to end their night. 

Bucky smiled as he brought over the bowl and set it down, then pulled him down on the couch next to him, and Tony tucked himself under the bigger man’s arm, curling against his chest as the movie started.

~~~

Bucky smiled to himself as he watched the movie, his eyes moving now and then to the plant on the table. As it unfurled, his little smile turned into a bit of a grin. The movie ended - Elf, one of Tony’s favourites - and Tony started to stretch and sit up. Bucky waited until Tony’s eyes turned back to the desert plant, his hand reaching out to touch the tips again.

The moment Tony saw it, he could see his eyes open wide and his hand freeze, and Bucky slid to his knees in front of the couch. 

He reached for the hand that had started to tremble, cupping it in both of his and bringing it to his lips, brushing a soft kiss against the knuckles. 

“Tony,” he cleared his throat, his voice rough with emotion, “Tony, I love you so much. You took me in when you didn’t have to. You gave me a home. You gave me everything I could have asked more, everything I never would have imagined havin’ after everything I’ve done. Especially after.. Well, I didn’t expect this from you of all people, not after what I did, an’ not when I first got here.

“Now.. Now you’re the center of my world, Tony. You-.. You’re the love of my life.

“Tony, will you make me the happiest man in the world an’ marry me?”

Bucky reached over, picking up the ring that had been revealed as the rose of jericho had unfurled; brushed black titanium, with an asymmetrical strip of Tony’s signature red through it, and a blue stone that perfectly matched the arc reactor glow set into it. For the first time since he started speaking, he looked up through watery eyes to Tony’s face.

Tony, for his part, had his right hand over his mouth, tears spilling from his eyes, even as he nodded almost frantically. It took a few moments of his mouth working open and shut before he croaked out actual words. 

“Yes! Oh my god,  _ yes _ !” Bucky couldn’t help the hoarse laugh as he put the ring on Tony’s finger and gathered him up in his arms, kissing him soundly. 

**Author's Note:**

> I definitely recommend looking up the Rose of Jericho on YouTube if you'd like to see them bloom, it's actually incredible to watch. They are _fascinating_.


End file.
